California governor declares emergency amid fires

ALTURAS, Calif. (AP) -- A fast-growing wildfire along the Oregon-California border has spurred evacuation notices even as California's governor declared a state of emergency to help fight the blazes.

Gov. Jerry Brown's order Saturday night came as fires in other West Coast states burned through parched forests, brush and terrain, destroying some homes, threatening many others and forcing evacuations.

Brown secured a federal grant to cover 75 percent of the cost to fight a wildfire that started in Oregon and crossed into California. Officials say the Oregon Gulch fire destroyed at least 3 homes and was threatening about 270 structures.

By midnight Saturday, the blaze had burned across 50 square miles of land, compared with 33 square miles earlier in the day.

Authorities on both sides of the border responded with evacuation notices, though it wasn't immediately clear how many residences were affected.